The viewer is so surprised to see for the first time the original paintings on phap lam at the ancient An Dinh palace. The paintings depict a very popular tale to people: Thuy Kieu. Phap lam is the designation for artworks which are made of bronze inside and coated with many layers of enamel with colored decorated patterns then heated at high temperature.

At the Thai Family Ancestral House, Prof. Dr. Thai Kim Lan’s family had prepared banh chung, banh tet, phap lam, and phu the cakes from the previous day. After finding a satisfactory bamboo pole, the homeowner would perform a ceremony to worship the ancestors and then arrange incense table, candle, betel nut, wine, etc. in front of the yard to begin the ritual. Red couplets would also be prepared in advance and written in a conventional calligraphy style. In a dignified and joyful atmosphere to welcome the new year, the bamboo pole will be erected with the joyful jingle of the bell hanging from the top of the bamboo pole. The bamboo pole will celebrate Tet with the family and neighborhood until it is lowered on the 7th of January (Lunar Calendar) when everyone goes back to work in the new year.